It’s hard to know exactly what to say about Polite Society. Although it takes bits and pieces from other movies, it comes across as very unique. It’s definitely weird, perhaps even bizarre, with a story line that goes places I wasn’t expecting. Honestly, the entire movie caught me off guard. The one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that it is a whole lot of fun.
The story centers on Ria Khan, a Pakistani-English teenager who dreams of being a stuntwoman. It’s an all-consuming dream, but neither her parents nor her teachers approve (although her parents are more weary than outright disapproving), thinking it unrealistic and foolish. Support comes from her older sister Lena, an art school dropout, who helps by helping Ria film YouTube martial arts videos.
And here you have setup for a coming-of-age story about learning to follow your own path. But then the story takes a left turn. When Lena decides to give up on art and (gasp) get married, Ria feels Lena is giving up on her dream. Also, there is something just a bit off about her brother-in-law and his mother. Or maybe that’s just her imagination. Either way, Ria realizes she must stop the wedding at all costs.
From there the movie becomes a wonderful mix of coming-of-age, family, martial arts, and comedy, with a heist thrown in for good measure. While it owes a lot to other movies, just like Ria, Polite Society is determined to follow its own path. It’s a weird, genre-bending movie that had me laughing a lot and smiling from start to finish. I absolutely loved this movie.
While the story is entertaining, it is the cast that makes it work. Lena, the parents, the future in-laws, and Ria’s friends (all of whom get solid laughs) are perfectly cast. But it is Priya Kansara who shines as Ria. She embodies the character with just the right amount of teen angst, confusion, insecurity, suspicion, determination and an abundance of energy. It’s a tricky line to walk, and a lot of the credit undoubtedly belongs to writer/director Nida Manzoor. But it’s Kansara’s performance that pulled me in, and it is a shame that I hadn’t heard more about it.
I did love how the movie kept me guessing most of the way as to whether Ria is right to suspect her sister’s fiancé, or if it is just her imagination and insecurity working overtime. If there is any fault here it is that perhaps it gets a little too weird in the final act. It felt like it may have been one step too far. But it is minor, and it didn’t take away from my enjoyment overall. It just seemed like it didn’t quite follow from the rest of the movie. But I really can’t say enough about this movie. It’s just great.
Polite Society will not be to everyone’s taste. It was likely a little too weird to be mainstream but should have gotten more attention. If anything about it intrigues you though, I urge you to give this a watch. If you can get into the concept, it is worth it. It really is a lot of fun and I guarantee I will watch it again. We need more movies like this.